Speed-varying drive.



W. H. NICHOLAS.

-SPEED VARYING DRIVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17.19H.

Patented Sept. 25, 191?f meme,

' Mum/8853, fa-Mm:

FIC

WIIBUR H. NICHOLAS, F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SPEED-ventuno DRIVE. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 25, ieri'.

Application filed February 17, 1917. Serial No. 149,206.

To all whom t may concern:

following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a driving` mechanism fordriving a rotating element at variable speeds by the application ofsuccessiveimpulses thereto through a reciprocating element, thestructure being such that the direction of rotation of the drivenelement may be reversed without reversal of the driving element.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Figure 1 is a sideelevation of an apparatus embodying the fundamental and essentialelements of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan.

In the illustration of `my invention I have v not attempted to show itincorporated in any special device designed for any particular purpose,but it will be readily understood that the driving mechanism may be usedfor the purpose of many dierent machines, although the driving mechanismis primarily designed for the propulsion of motor vehicles of the farmtractor type.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a main wheel journaled upon shaft 11 anddesigned to receive the successive driving impulses transmitted by myimproved mechanism from the power shaft 12 or any other suitable meansfor the reciprocation of the main lever 13.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises four driving elements asfollows: The main lever 13 is provided with a longitudinal slot 14 whichreceives a bar 15 which forms the fulcrum of the lever and is mounted insuitable ways on the supporting frame 16 and adjustable by means of theadjusting screw 17 and nut 18. Pivoted at 2O to each lever 13 is a lever21 which is fulcrumed upon shaft 11. In the form shown in the drawings,two of the levers 21 are projected beyond the shaft 11, while the othertwo levers 21 are not so projected. Pivoted at 22 upon each lever 21, atsome distance from the fulcrum 11 of said lever, is a link 23 which isextended to a point beyond the periphery of wheel 10 and carries a shoe24.

The distance between pivot 22 and the working face of shoe 24 isslightly greater than the shortest distance between said pivot and thecircumferential face of wheel 10.

Pivoted at 25 on link 23 is an eye block 26 which is perforated at rightangles to the axis of the pivot 25 and has a rod 27 passed through it,said rod carrying compression springs 28, 28, which are balanced againsteach other upon the eye block 26. Each rod 27 is carried at the outerend of an arm 29, the several arms being carried by shaft 30 which maybe rocked and held in either eX- treme of adjustment by means of lever31.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in the-drawings, it willbe apparent that reciprocation of lever 13 will cause reciprocation ofthe associated lever 21. Referring particularly to the lever 21 which isnearest the observer in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will-be seen that anupward movement of the righthand end of this lever will first cause aswinging of link 23, and, as the outer end of this link is supportedbetween the ends of its buffer springs 28, the downward movement of thelefthand of lever 21 will first cramp shoe 24 tightly upon wheel 10 andwill then cause wheel 10 to advance in the direction indicated by thearrow. The opposite movement of lever 21 will lirst cause an outwardmovement of shoe 24 from the circumference of wheel 10 so as to releasethe grip on the wheel, and then permit a return of the shoe to itsinitial position by the vaction of the lowerv spring 28, which has beencompressed during the forwarding action upon wheel 10. In the meantime,the associated duplicate driving elements have been operating in asimilar manner, so that with the four driving elements shown, asubstantially uniform rotation of wheel 10 is obtained. It will, ofcourse, be understood that, with the parts in the position shown in thedrawings, the two middle levers 21 will accomplish forwarding movementof the wheel 10 on their upper strokes.

In order to reverse the direction of movement of wheel 10, lever 31 willbe swung so as to shift arm 29 to the positions indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1, thereby swinging` all of the links 23 about theirrespective pivots 22 to positions on the opposite sides of the mediallines of the levers 21, whereupon reciprocation of levers 21 will havean opposite rotative effect upon wheel 10.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a rotating member having a circumferential face, alever pivoted adjacent said member, means for applying a driving forceto saidlever, a link pivand a shiftable fulcrum for said operatinglever, whereby the throw of the rst-men- LItionedl lever. maybe varied.

ingly supporting the outer end -of Saidlink,

for the purpose set forth.

2 2J The combination of a-.rotating member having a circumferential,face, a, leverpiv oted adjacent said member, means for applying @drivingforce tosaidlever, a link ,piv-

Vadapted kto engage the ,circumferential face of the rotative member,` asupportf. for ,the

outer lend of saidf l-ink said Support compris- 111g a pair 0f opposedsprmgeand. .means for` shifting said support so vas tovnormal-ly sideYorthe other, Withrelationtqthe medial line of the first-mentionedlever.

, 3.l The combination of. a rotating member having av circumferentialface, a lever kpiv- V,oted adjacent said member, meansfor applying adriving force Ito saidlever, a link pivf ulcrum, a vShoe carriedfbyaidlink,. and

adapted to engage the circumferential face of the rotativev member, asupport, for the outer end Iof, said link, and means forehiftlinkangularly jdisplaced,to one side orf-the other, Withrel-ationtothemedial lineofthe first-mentioned,lever.

5. The combination of a rotating member having a circumferential face, alever plvoted adjacent said member, a link pivoted to :said-lever at apoint other thanlits fulcrum,

amshoecarriedubyeaid link and adapted to engage' the circumferentialface of the rotative member, a` s upport for the outerendof SaiCllIllQSaidsupport comprising a pair of op,p ojsed spr1ngs, means for shifting.said Supportfso as ltmnormally holdv the link ang u larly displaced toAone side orthe other, Awith relation to the medialline, ofthefirstmentioned lever, an operating lever connect- ,ed tothe rstfmentonedlever,l and a shifthold ithe link angularly. displaced, ,toene wherebythe ,throw of the rstmentioned lever -1 nay ,.l oe varied.

able A fulcrum for saidoperating lever,

1 6.' Thecombination of a rotating member ,having a Icircumfe rentialface, a lever pivotedadjacentsaid member, a link pivoted to said leverat a point other lthan-its fulcrum, Shoecarried by Saidlink and .adaptedto ly,mgage.the circumferential face ofthe rotatived member, a supportforthe outer endr of .,saidlink, meansfor shiftingsaid support so Ang.:Sadsupport f S0 as to; normallv'hold the as to normally hold the linkangularly displaced,.to.one side or the other,vivithi.rela ,tion to the.mediall1ne of the first-mentioned lever, an .operatingA lever`connected to, the

firstfmentioned lever, and a shiftable ful- 14- The combination-fof; a`rotating-member y `lthrow. of the first-mentioned levermay .be

oted adjacent said member, aflink pivoted to 1, vsaid-lever at ay pointother than-ite -fulcr-iim, a- Shoe lCarried bvf-sad lnkand adapted vtoengage the circumferential l-'iaee of; the rotavariedcrumyforsaid,loperating lever, whereby the V liuvvitnese whereof, I have f hereuntoset my hand at Il idianapolis, Indiana, this 14th ,fdavof FebruaryfA. D.one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

VVILBUR HLNICHOLAS.

:, Qopes ot.. t hs paten1 zmay beobtainedfolj velcents each,Joyaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Waarnemen. C.

